Motor control mechanism



April 18, 1939. R. P. LANSING MOTOR CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Nov. 19, 1936 f n I m m 1 a W m md m N 0 m WA a W Y. B k a 6 E1 Patented Apr. s, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE to Eclipse Aviation Corporation, East Orange,

N. 1., a corporation ct New lersey Application November 19, 1936, Serial No. 111,717

2 Claims. The present invention relates broadly to motive devices and more particularly to a combination" including an improved motive device of the fluid pressure type and a system associated therewith 5 effective under predetermined conditions for delivering to the motive device fluid pressure in such amount as to produce an actuation thereof.

While it is contemplated in accordance with the present invention that the improved motive device 10 itself may be utilized directly as a prime mover, it

is particularly useful as a starting motor for internal combustion engines, and more especially engines of thecharacter utilized for aviation purposes. Where so used it is essential that the 15 starting motor be capable of developing the required torque for efiecting rotation of the internal combustion engine quickly and efficiently. These attributes of operation must be obtained with a motor having a minimum weight and of extremely 20 compact construction. In accordance with the present invention there is provided a motor satisfying requirements of the character set forth, and at the same time sufficiently powerful to itself serve as a prime mover under'conditions requiring 25 a limited amount of rotative movement.

In combination with the motor there is provided a motive system including means for producing operating pressure for the motor. This last mentioned means preferably, although not necessarily, consists of a. combustible solid fuel containing sumcient oxygen to support its own combustion with a minimum of residual ash. Such material may be varied to obtain the proper balance of power necessary to perform the proposed work 35 operation, which will vary under extremes of temperature and other conditions. By employing a fuel of this nature and burning the major portion of the charge in an expansible chamber interposed between the supply of fuel and the part to 40 be moved, I am able to gradually build up a cushioning body of gases while subjecting them to the heat derived from their own combustion and thereby maintain an undiminished gas pressure for such period of time as is necessary to success- 45 fully perform the designated work operation.

It has been asserted (see Cofiman Patent No. 2,005,913) that gases generated at a poifi remote .to'the part to be moved and transferred without superheating to a point adjacent to the part to be so moved, if they produced pressure sufficient, to

move the said part, would further cool under the 55 said part starts to move-there may be a slight falling 03 of pressure, but on the other hand the pressm-e continues to build up during the expansion permitted by the recession of a piston located in the expansible reserve pressure chamber into which the generated gases and some of the fuel 5 passes following its ignition, and from which chamber the gases are metered out to the conduit leading to the part to be moved, such metering continuing for a suflicient period of time to insure the completion of the designated working operation-as, for example, the cranking of an internal combustion engine.

It is further desirable in a motive system of the character referred to, to make provision for the dissipation of pressure in the event of an undue accumulation. The present system therefore further contemplates a safety feature which will become effective for relieving pressure in case the pressure is built up to a point beyond that for which the apparatus is designed.

In the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing the safety feature is in the form of a blow-oil chamber to which the generated gases have access only after a predetermined degree of movement of the piston in the metering chamber, whereby sufficient gases may be retained, even after blowing oil of the excess pressure, to produce normal operation of the part (e. g. engine starting gear) to be moved.

The invention further contemplates improvements with respect to the manner of supplying the desired pressure to the apparatus. In this respect, due to the facility with which cartridges or shells may be handled, transported and fired, I preferably make use of a shell type of charge, and provide a breech mechanism which will efiectively receive such a charge.

Other features of the invention will be apparent and become better understood by reference more particularly to the following specification and 4 drawing.

It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration only, and'is not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being bad to the appended claims for this purpose.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section along the line' l-l of Fig. 2, of the pressure generating and metering mechanism, as applied to the work of energizing an engine turn- 8 gear;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section view of the. engine turning gear indicated only partially in Fig. 1; and 56 Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views showing the metering and blow-ofl chambers, with the pistons thereof in diflerent relative positions corresponding to different pressure conditions.

In carrying out the present invention. there may be provided a housing I, of substantially cylindrical shape, having at one end thereof a flange 2 adapted to support the motor in position. Where used as a starting motor for internal combustion engines, this flange may be an integral portion of the engine crank case and will be of such construction as to permit the motor to be bolted or otherwise secured in the desired relationship to such internal combustion engine by means of bolts 3 extending through suitable openings in the flange and projecting into the crank case of the internal combustion engine.

A gear wheel or pinion I5 is drivably connected to, or integrally formed with, a turbine type rotor l4 energizable by the gases generated upon flring of one or more cartridges located in a breech mechanism l3 of any suitable type as, for example, that shown in Patent No. 1,940,179 granted to Romeo M. Nardone on December 19, 1933. Rotor l4 has its axis of rotation laterally displaced from the common axis of engine shaft i 2 and engine engaging clutch member l0, meshable with engine clutch member I l Pinion I15 meshes with a gear l6 drivably connected to a barrel I! which is rotatably mounted within ball bearings I8 and II in the housing 6. An interiorly threaded nut or sleeve 1 is concentrically disposed with barrel l1.

and is drivably connected to said barrel by means of a plurality of friction disks 2!. A plurality of coil springs 2| are provided to maintain disks 20 in frictional engagement, and a locking ring 22 is preferably threaded into the inner end of the barrel to vary the prwsure exerted by said springs on the disks.

Mounted for rotary and longitudinal movement within sleeve 1 is a threaded shaft 8 to the outer end of which is secured a nut 24 movable toward a limiting element which is shown as in the form of an annular shoulder 25 provided within said sleeve. The outer end of shaft I has splines to carry the spllned hub of jaw clutch member II, and to impart rotation thereto. If a different ratio of torque multiplication is desired between gear II and barrel II, the planetary gear set N, 21, 28 may be inserted therebetween, as shown; the sun gear 2I of the set being preferably integrated with gear It as illustrated.

The pressure fluid metering means of the present invention is shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4 as embodied inra cylinder 4| having piston 42 slidable therein, and normally held in the position indicated in Fig. 1 by a compression spring 43 coiled about the piston rod 44, said cylinder having an apertured base 46 to receive a conduit 41 and a laterally disposed apertured boss 4I to receive a conduit 49 having a perforated plug or grid II therein, and having its outer end secured within the inlet port or nozzle 52 inthe housing 53 of the turbine wheel 14. As conduit 41 connects breech l3 with the cylinder 4 I, the flring of the charge in the former causes ignited pellets of a non-explosive, slow burning powder to be propelled toward the piston 42, and the pressure developed by the generation of gases due to the burning of said powder will eventually move the piston 42 sufliclently to uncover the ports in grid II and thus allow pressure fluid to enter the turbine housing 53, impinge upon the blades 54, and impart rotation to the elements l4, I, II, 26, 21, 28, I1, 2I, I and I to cause member II to engage and "crank the engine member l2. As this action proceeds the pressure continues :8 build up in cylinder 4| during the expansion permitted by the continued recession of piston 42 under such pressure against the yielding opposition of spring 43, and such gradually rising pressure will insure a steady supply of pressure fluid, through the metering orifices in grid II, to the turbine rotor l4 over a period of time sufficient to produce starting of the engine. During this action grid II also'serves to prevent passage into the conduit 49 of any imbumed particles of fuel. From the foregoing it will be apparent that the combination of the piston 42 and the spring 43 is such as to initially prevent but thereafter permit admission of pressure fluid to the conduit 49.

Any excess pressure will cause piston 42 to rise far enough to make contact with an excess pressure relief valve 42, and at substantially the same moment the said piston 42 will uncover by-pass II in the cylinder wall. Following this uncovering of the bypass II the pressure will build up in the space above piston 42, and will act, together with spring 43, to tend to force the piston downwardly; meanwhile if the pressure below and above the piston 42 should increase to such an extent as to be great enough to lift the valve I2 to the position indicated in Fig. 4, the port II will be uncovered, allowing escape of the excess pressure to the atmosphere, the piston 42 meanwhile remaining in substantially the pomtion indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. Thereafter the continuing flow of pressure fluid into conduit 0 will eventually permit return of the piston 42 to a position of a complete cut-oi! of the by-pass II.

Means including a cup-shaped bailie member 2I and a flexible washer 29 are preferably associated with the inner end of the barrel structure to prevent oil from seeping into the housing 6 from the engine crank case. In the form shown, a rod Ill extends through shaft I and the hub ii of barrel i! to constitute, in conjunction with nut 32 and shoulder 33 of said rod, a means for limiting the extent of relative axial movement of parts I and I.

Shaft I and jaw clutch member Ill tend to rotate in unison with nut I, butthe rotation of these two members is yieldably opposed by sectional ring II which has frictional engagement with the curved lip 61 around the central opening in baffle 28, the construction being preferably as described and claimed in Patent No. 1,962,397 issued to me on June 12, 1934, and constituting a means for insuring axial movement of member II into mesh with member II in response to the axial thrust imparted to shaft I by the flrst rotary movement internally threaded sleeve I.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination in a system for moving a part to be moved comprising a pressure fluid receiving housing, a rotor within said housing, turbine vanes on the said rotor, a nozzle adapted to direct pressure fluid against said vanes, a breech mechanism, an expansible chamber adiacent said breech mechanism, means for introducing igni fuel pellets into said expansible chamber for pletlon of the burning thereof in said chamber and a resultant development of fluid pressure therein, and means responsive to the development of said fluid pressure to initially delay and thereafter permit admission of the pressure fluid into said turbine housing by way of said nomle, said last named means including a conduit connecting said expansible chamber with said nozzle and a piston in said expansible chamber controlling the admission of pressure fluid to said conduit, and a bane within said conduit to prevent passage thereinto of the fuel pellets which are burning in said expansible chamber, and means cooperating with said piston to prevent the development or excessive pressure in said expansible chamber.

2. The combination in a system for moving a part to be moved comprising a pressure fluid receiving housing, a rotor within said housing, turbine vanes on the said rotor, a nozzle adapted to direct pressure fluid against said vanes. ,a breech mechanism, an expansible chamber adjacent said breech mechanism, means for introducing ignited iuel pellets into said expansible chamher for completion or the burning thereof in said pressure therein, means responsive to the development of said fluid pressure to initially delay and thereafter permit admission or the pressure fluid into said turbine housing by way of said nozzle, said last named means including a conduit connecting said expansible chamberwith said nozzle and a piston in said expansible chamber controlling the admission oi. pressure fluid to said conduit, means to prevent passage into said conduit of the fuel pellets which are burning in said expansible chamber, and means cooperating with said piston to prevent the development of excessive pressure in said expansible chamber.

asmorm a.

chamber and a resultant development of fluid 

